Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Hi peoples, I can't resist one last post for this year because I am just so darn lucky. Today I got a big box in the mail! In the hubub of Christmas and being sick and having Frankie home, I'd forgotten that I had won a very sweet holiday Peppermint Twist give-away at Marsha's blog.

How cute is this box? Frannie is quite the artist and the whole outside is decorated with Christmasy dots and just look at the cute American Girl portrait.

No kidding there was CUTE STUFF INSIDE!! Normally I wouldn't be opening my mail in the back yard but I caught the last of the sun out there to show off my package. It's so pretty.

My favorite part of the package is this wonderful winter artwork by Frannie. It's been quite a while since I had great kid art around, and this will be on the fridge this winter to cheer me up and remind me how wonderful life can be. Thank you Frannie! Sometimes I do need a reminder.

Ohhh lookie. I'm glad my picture turned out because that pretzel was the first to go. I'll pace myself on the candy and the ornament will be on the tree post haste.

I don't know that they were sure if I was naughty or nice, so I have both wonderful ornaments. I'm thinking Naughty. What about you?

What is nice is how happy I felt when I opened the box. And what a sweet reminder of how wonderful and generous people you don't even know can be. Thank you so much Marsha and Frannie. It made my day.

Marsha is hosting another give away starting January 1, so be sure and stop by and enter. You're going to love it.

Ok peeps.. IT'S NEW YEARS EVE. I hope you all have a safe holiday! Thanks for making my year wonderful sharing your friendship and support. Love you SPECIAL PEEPS!!!! Let's all have a wonderful 2009!

Ok peoples, I know you all don't drink coffee but everyone takes a break right?? And what better for a break than popcorn balls? I have a recipe that's definitely vintage courtesy of a childhood neighbor lady. She'd make them for Halloween and it was the only homemade treat my mother would let us eat.

Andrea has a picture of a perfect popcorn ball on her blog along with her recipe and she inspired me to share mine.

1 cup brown sugar firmly packed

1 tablespoon white sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup butter

Cook in a heavy pan till soft ball stage.

Yup, that's my whole recipe.

Here's where Andrea is so far ahead of me, she give the temperature you cook it to.. my recipe is clearly old-skool. I use my mother's technique for testing, I keep a small bowl of ice water next to the stove and when the syrup looks thick and a thread comes off the spoon when you pull it out it's ready to start testing. I like to test about a thousand times because it's so good. When you pour a spoonful of candy into the ice water it will form a little ball if you nudge it a bit. That's when you know it's ready.

I make a big big bowl of air pop corn to pour the syrup over. It will be a nice caramel color and crazy hot and sticky so be careful. I stir stir stir with a slotted spoon till there's candy on all of it. After letting it slightly cool, spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray and form into balls. They're so yummy.

Ok break is over, time to get back to sewing. Have a happy day peoples! Can you stand it, almost 2009!

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Gotta get that sewing groove back on! It's been too long since I really did anything in my sewing room besides watching the House and NCIS marathons. When I saw this cute pattern over at Camille's I just had to make it.

So are you working on anything? Or just taking it easy? Love all the stories from yesterday, Nicole is right, all that good cheer really is exhausting!

Monday, December 29, 2008

So how did it go people? Good? Bad? Glad it's over? I had a little of all three going in the Christmas Comedy of Errors over here. I got up Christmas eve and made the best mashed potatoes ever. I'm sure you know the ones, you can make them ahead and they're crammed with sour cream, cream cheese and butter. YUMMY. Anyway, packed up the stuff I needed to take to my mother-in-law's and then left for several hours. I'm sure you all know the end to this story, the potatoes were sitting on my kitchen counter.

After making another batch, then making dinner and dessert for Christmas Eve and going out to see the lights, I got to work on one of the desserts for Christmas. Hmm, smelled really cake-y very early on.. turns out my oven had a hot flash and burned my cake in 20 minutes. So here we are at 10 at night looking for oranges to make orange cake. 7-11 to the rescue.

Christmas morning I'm on my way over before everyone else to bring the rest of the stuff and to get started with dinner and I realize I'd totally forgot to make the pie. Man I am just out of it. Thankfully there was time and ingredients laying around. Moral of the story, make a list and use it!

It was a good day though even at that so I can't complain too much. Look who Frankie brought home with her! I love this snowman and he's going to make a nice cheery statement on our porch next year.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Last week Frankie took me to one of her new favorite little antique shops. I can see why she loves it, it's crammed with kitchy goodness. Olio has all kinds of 20th century kitchy cool stuff.

I am constantly seeing stuff on blogs that I know I'll never find but HEY LOOK AT THIS! When Beth posted about the reflectors I thought wow, I'll never find those.. but holy cow, look at this stash. Frankie and I bought a bundle so we'll be ready.

Melissa had the nicest collection of paint-by-number I've seen. Well you know, have seen outside of a magazine!!!

I love her Christmas display. There's a Christmas stocking in green that I think is the same as the one I've used for years, except mine is white. Maybe this year I'll make the little repairs it needs. I think maybe it was made from a kit, I'm not sure. I'll have to ask mom.

Frankie and I had a great outing, lunch at Toasties, then we went to Back Porch Fabrics which is always fun. Did a little grocery shopping and hung out watching tv. It didn't start raining till I was almost back in town which was perfect timing.

It's the week of Christmas people! I need to get a ham!! Stat. And then get caught up on my new fun show Life. Seriously, how did I miss this one before.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

..is on whatever there is once the pumpkin isn't available for poetic commentary. Popped out with the dogs this morning to see how the yard looks. Shiny and glittery. Should melt soon, I see the neighbors roof is no longer white.

Although it's kidstuff to all of you facing the wintery storms elsewhere, its been record cold here in the sunshiney state of CA. Last night the news warned of treacherous road conditions today, black ice.

I'll be taking Frankie home today. I think this is the longest she's stayed home in a couple of years and it's been a treat, even if we were sick. Last night was the Christmas dinner at the complex Grammie lives at, and they have a standing date. But today she's got to get back.

We're planning a little lunch at Toasties and maybe even a trip to Back Porch Fabrics, then I'll try and beat the rain home.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Today is the first day in quite a few that I've felt a bit like a human. I did some Mom Duty last week, picking up my poor sick kid and being in a car for several hours going back and forth was like being in a germ incubator. Fortunately, by the time I got sick, she was well, so she waited on me, and that was nice.

For the first time in several days I'M DRINKING COFFEE. Can you imagine? Days on end without coffee. It tastes so darn good. And I'm reading more blogs and seeing so many wonderful Christmas decorations. I'm happy our tree is up. Bret put it up and Frankie put all the ornaments on it, wonderful!

We haven't even made it out to look at Christmas lights once this year. That photo is of the old guys house from last year. I love the old guy. It's just not Christmas till you see that dancing Santa in the window. Keep those photos coming.

Ok, gotta go get caught up with stuff around here. You can tell no one vacuumed in in days...

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Hey they're here, finally! Our cute joint projects. This is the scarf set Elizabeth and I worked on together on the Sew Day! We had some stuff to learn.. like when fusing Pam, check that scarf content before you go slammin a hot iron on there! It made sewing those snowflakes a bit challenging but I pulled a little and it worked out. Then we blocked the scarf out by spritzing it with water and pinning it to the ironing board to dry. Still a little wonky, but what can you do? Another lesson we learned late in the game.. mittens have a right and wrong side once you put that trim on. We have two right handed mittens here. Silly girls!

This set is the one Elizabeth made. I think its the cutest. Seriously... do you love those ruffles and that cute flower? And all those yoyos!! It's my favorite.

Here's my set. Kind of boring. I'm an embellishing novice. I used a leftover Lecien square from Elizabeth's Weekend in Paris quilt to add to the scarf. Having learned my lesson, I used basting spray to tack my square down before I blanket stitched it. I thought it worked great! I had some other silvery gray Lecien fabrics and I used those for the yoyos. Then I just got that silvery feeling and went and got some shiny faux glass buttons. But wouldn't it be cute with some vintage rhinestone buttons or old jewelry you could pin or tack on. The more I thought about it, the more I could have gone crazy. And really, there's nothing that says I can't add a bunch of stuff.

I really had fun working on this project with Elizabeth. She has so many pretty things to work with. I think fun additions, even just one or two, take an inexpensive scarf set and turn it into something unique. In fact..I should have used my Clover Pom Pom Maker..

So we've added an icon over there.. you can just select it and get yourself an instructional PDF!!! How's that for showing off? It's our first and we're feeling a bit proud. Ok, what are you waiting for? I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Monday, December 08, 2008

This weekend I read the best book I've read in a while. Do you read this series? I've been following Faith Fairchild since the first mystery novel. When I started reading it I felt like I had a lot in common with who Faith was, mom, ex-career woman, sleuth. Ok, I wasn't a sleuth but I always wanted to be one since I read Harriet the Spy in elementary school.

Anyway, this particular book was so good because it really reminded me of all the books I read as a kid about going to college. There are two story lines, one takes place in the 60's at a woman's college and then the story in the present. It just had me thinking about the past and what it was like going to college in the 70's. The way things were for women, what it meant to have a college education. All the things that weren't available to women then that are now. It was good. I enjoyed it.

Today we're taking photos of our projects!!! Guess I better get ready to leave the house. Have a good day people!

Friday, December 05, 2008

As usual, I'm the slowest poke in the bunch. You probably think I've been working on my cool set and I have, just not at the speed you're hoping. I'm not as clever at embellishing as Elizabeth so it takes me some time.

While passing the days around here, I got back to my Flight of Fancy. I know, I know, you thought that was done by now right? I fused the the center block and then set it aside for the premarket stuff and never got back to it. It's so pretty, why am I dawdling?

Just so you know I'm working on it, here's a peek. I think it will be pretty. I have enjoyed working on it.

I think Elizabeth is done, so I just need to finish and get over to her her house for some photos! Have a good weekend Super Friends!! xo

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Elizabeth and I had a sew day at her house this week. It was really wonderful. Mostly because well, we're friends and it's always fun, but extra fun for me because she's got pretty things and a sewing room chock full of goodies and trims. And fabric. And it's all tidy and nice.

We've been wanting to do a project together and when I saw these sets at Target they looked ripe for some darling embellishments. Embellishments are right up Elizabeth's alley, believe me. I told her about the sets and she went right down and got them. She's a doer. I'm a talkerabouter. Good thing she went they were down to their last aqua when she got there!

Look at the table, just crammed with goodies. I don't even own any pompom trim. That seems criminal, doesn't it? I'll have to rectify that. And get a load of that pin cushion of my dreams with its vintage fabric. And just off the photo.. cookies. You know only coffee could have made this better.

Look, I think I'm arty!

Stay tuned. We worked on one set together, and then each kept one set to work on at home. I can't wait to see what she comes up with. Even more, can't wait to see what I come up with!!

Monday, December 01, 2008

Its true, I envied. Elizabeth had the cutest fatty pin cushion. I had seen them on a couple of blogs before but they didn't call out to me till I saw hers in a pretty little vignette in her sewing room. I was all over the internet looking for the pattern at the time but couldn't find it.

Friday I remembered it and within minutes found the free pattern here! And a little later, I had a nice little fat pin cushion. Let me know if you try it.

Speaking of things to try, have you been over to see Monica's Pennie Pockets? The project is darling and the pdf is so cute I could just frame that and gaze at it all day. That girl really rocks a pdf is all I can say.

I'm off to Elizabeth's to do a little sewing. We have a fun little project in mind, and if it turns out cute, I think you'll be seeing it. If not, well, then I'll be back to blogging about soap.